Springerle Cookies have been and still are traditional Christmas cookies in Bavaria, Switzerland and Austria dating back to at least the 1600s. Springerle are white, anise-flavored cookies, made from a simple egg-flour-sugar dough.  Usually rectangular or circular in shape, they have a picture or design stamped on the top.  The images are imprinted with specially carved Springerle flat boards.  The designs pressed into the top of the cookie are preserved by slightly drying the cookies before baking.

Springerle Traditions Grandma Mary's Springerle Recipe

           Full Batch:                                                          Half Batch:                                                     Quarter Batch:

8 eggs at room temperature                             4 eggs at room temperature.                                    2 eggs at room temperature.

7 cups or 2 lbs Confectioner's sugar               3 ½ cups or 1 lb Confect. Sugar                               1 ¾ cups or ½ lb Confect. sugar

6 cups or 2 pounds of flour                              3 cups or 1 lb flour                                                     1 ½ cups or ½ lb flour

1 ½  tsp baking powder                                    ¾  tsp baking powder                                               ¼  tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp anise oil or 2 tsp anise extract            ¼ tsp anise oil or 1 tsp anise extract                         1/8 tsp anise oil or ½ tsp anise extract

Note: For other flavors, I use 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, or ¼ teaspoon respectively of LorAnn Super-Strength flavoring in place of the anise oil. This can also be adjusted to your taste.

Beat the eggs with the whisk attachment until very thick and lemon colored.  Switch to the paddle attachment and on low speed slowly add the sugar, anise oil/extract, and baking powder.  Gradually add most of the flour, reserving some for the rolling surface.  Note:  The amount of flour needed can vary slightly due to humidity, egg sizes, etc., so adjust accordingly depending on the consistency of the dough.  Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.  Remove a portion of the dough and place it on a floured surface.  Cover the remaining dough in the bowl with the damp towel.  Knead the dough on the floured surface, working in more flour until it is no longer sticky and is very smooth and soft.  Test the consistency by gently pressing the dough with your finger.  If the indentation holds, it's ready to press.  If the indentation starts to fill in, work a little more flour into the dough. Roll or pat it out to about 1/2 inch thick.  Brush the mold and the dough with confectioner’s sugar.  Firmly but gently press the mold into the dough and remove.  Cut out the cookie with either a cookie cutter or a dough scraper and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Repeat until all the dough has been used.  Keep like-sized cookies on separate sheets - don't mix very large with very small cookies on the same sheet.  When the cookie sheets have been filled, place them in a cool, dry area for at least 12 hours or overnight to dry.  Bake at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the bottoms barely begin to turn golden.  Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the cookies, so watch them carefully.  The tops should not brown at all.  Move the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cool, then store in an airtight container.

Note:  If you prefer your springerles to be thin and crispy, just roll the dough out thinner or bake longer at a lower temperature.  Even the thick, chewy springerles will become dry and crispy with time (which my grandfather referred to as dunkers).

 

While traditional Springerles have been made with anise flavoring, there are other variations that are a delicious alternative.  Almond, Lemon and Raspberry are popular.  Raspberry with cocoa powder or melted chocolate on the back is an even more decadent option.  Don't be afraid to try Kahlua, Maple, Orange, English Toffee, or Butter Rum.  The possibilities are endless!

See our selection of LORANN FLAVORINGS in our online store!

Speculaas (Speculatius) from "Joy of Cooking" 1975 Edition

A rich cookie of Danish origin, pressed into a mold like springerles.

Work as for pie dough, until the particles are like coarse meal

2/3 cup butter

1 cup flour

Cream:

1 egg

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Add:

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/16 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the egg and butter mixtures well. Spread the dough on a baking sheet. Rest, chilled for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stamp the dough with a floured mold. Cut out and bake for approximately 10 minutes (or until done).

 

Ornaments & Crafts

Tragacanth ornaments originated in Germany and date back as far as the 7th century.  Made with powdered sugar, gum tragacanth, glucose or corn syrup, and water, they are rolled much thinner than a springerle cookie.  They dry very fast and very hard and will last for years.

Tragacanth Ornaments

2 cups confectioner' sugar 3 teaspoons gum tragacanth 1 teaspoon glucose 6 teaspoons water Mix the glucose with the water and stir until smooth.  Add to the confectioner's sugar and tragacanth.  Stir until crumbly (like pie crust) then knead the dough until smooth. Tear off a piece of the dough and cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.  Press the dough on top of the mold and flatten with a rolling pin to desired thickness.  Trim off the excess.  Carefully loosen the edges and peel off the mold.  Cut with a pastry cutter or cookie cutter.  Either make a hole for a hanger (try using a drinking straw) or insert a wire loop in the top of the ornament.  They can be left white or can be painted with powdered food coloring.  Allow to dry for 1 to 2 days.

For more detailed information, Martha Stewart has an excellent step-by-step video:  https://www.marthastewart.com/910941/tragant-ornaments-bobby-taylor

Check out our selection of molds at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SpringerleTraditions

Danish Butter Cookies

These are great for holding an impression. The flavoring can be substituted with lemon, amaretto or almond extract.

Bake 350*

1 cup butter

1 large egg

1/2 cup honey

1 TBL milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp orange flavoring (I used almond)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups flour

1. Soften butter slightly.

2. Mix butter, w/egg, honey, milk, vanilla and orange extracts.

3. Add sugar and salt.

4. Slowly add flour until mix is solid enough to knead.

5. Transfer mix to work surface and knead in up to 1/2 cup more flour and make your dough soft and workable. Wrap or cover dough and refrigerate for up to 1/2 an hour until it's firm but flexible.

6. Roll out dough on floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle flour on the surface of the dough and rub the surface so the flour completely covers it. Sprinkle flour in the mold and tap on counter or table to release most of the flour from the mold.

7. Press mold into rolled out dough and release. Cut the impression with a cookie cutter and transfer to your baking sheet.

8. Put cookies in frig. while over is pre-heating to 350*

9. Bake cookies for 10-14 minutes until sides are slightly golden and top has begun to firm up. Transfer to wire rack and cool.

10. Keep in mind these cookies have no "feet" like a traditional springerle cookie does. Also, I let these sit out for 5 to 6 hours on the counter before I refrigerated them, then baked them.

 

Wall Street Journal Molded Gingerbread Circa 2011

Hands-down the best gingerbread I've ever had, this recipe is adapted from one in the "Tartine" cookbook and amplified by cocoa, allspice and red chili.
ACTIVE TIME: 1-1¼ hours
MAKES: 2-4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup dark molasses 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons agave syrup 3¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder Scant pinch red chili powder 4 teaspoons ground ginger 1½ teaspoons allspice 3½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon baking powder Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue mixing until pale and creamy. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Stir in molasses, honey and agave syrup. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix until well combined.
2. In another large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, chili powder, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper and baking powder. Working in batches, sprinkle flour mixture into butter mixture, stirring gently until a firm dough forms and starts to pull away from sides of bowl.
3. Flour your hands and pull the dough from the bowl, knead once or twice into a ball (if it's so sticky it glues to your fingers, sprinkle in a teaspoon or so of flour and knead again). Place round on a large piece of plastic wrap, flatten gently with palm of hand and wrap tightly. Refrigerate dough at least 3 hours.
4. Generously dust a large, clean work space with flour. Divide chilled dough into four sections and, working one section at a time, roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. (Lightly flour rolling pin if dough sticks.)
5. Using pastry brush, lightly dust cookie mold with confectioners' sugar. Place mold on top of dough and press firmly and evenly to imprint. (Don't wiggle or image will blur). Repeat, dusting mold with additional sugar as needed, until entire section of dough is imprinted.
6. Using a sharp knife or cookie cutter, trim around edges of printed designs and gently transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat rolling, printing and trimming process with remaining dough. Then set baking sheets aside, uncovered, and allow cookies to dry (or "cure") at least 3 hours.
7. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking sheet in center of oven and bake until cookies are slightly springy at center and faintly browned at edges, 8-15 minutes depending on size and thickness of molds used. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Once cookies have cooled, brush with a confectioners' sugar glaze, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Cookies with Ground Hazelnuts
To Use with Molds – Yields approximately 40 - 2 ½” cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup ground Hazelnuts
½ cup dark cocoa powder
2 ½ cups flour
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Mix in ground Hazelnuts and salt. Gradually add the dark cocoa powder and then the flour at low speed. Scrape down sides as needed.
Chill dough up to half an hour if needed. Lightly dust the surface of a parchment lined counter with dark cocoa powder and roll out dough with a rolling pin to ¼ inch to 3/8 inch. Then lightly dust the top of the dough and the mold with dark cocoa powder. Press the mold into the dough enough to make a nice impression. Remove the mold and cut out the design with a cookie cutter, pizza cutter, or a knife.
Place the molded cooking onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the freezer up to 15 minutes (or in the refrigerator up to 30 minutes) while the oven heats up to 350 F. Take your baking sheet out of the freezer (or refrigerator) and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.
NOTE: To make a sandwich add caramel or hazelnut cream between two cookies.

Chocolate Chipotle Cookie 

Ingredients
5 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cocoa powder to dust mold and dough surface
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine 􀃙our, salt, and spices.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and 􀃙uffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
Grandually add the 􀃙our mixture at low speed. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed until the dough is well combined.
Dust the surface of your counter and rolling pin with 􀃙our and roll out the dough to a thickness of of approx 3/8 - 1/2 inch (8 mm)
Lightly dust the surface of our dough and cookie mold with Cocoa Powder (not 􀃙our).
Press the mold into the dough just far enough down to 􀃘ll the mold cavity. Remove your mold and cut out the cookie. Brush off any excess
cocoa powder from your cookie. If you don't brush this powder off now, before baking, it will be stuck to the baked cookie.
Place your cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Chill your cookie sheet full of molded cookies for 30 minutes or more in the fridge.
Take your cookie sheet out of the fridge and immediately place it in the center rack of a preheated 350 degree F oven (160 degrees C).
Bake your cookies approximately 8-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.
Notes
The yield depends on the size of cookie mold used.
The cookie is NOT spicy in flavor. The Chipotle chile powder enhances the chocolate flavor with a warm finish.
If you love spicy cookies, then add more Chipotle powder.
Use only deeply carved molds with this recipe.
Often, espresso powder is found next to cocoa powder in the baking aisle of large food markets.
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